meibomian gland

noun

A sebaceous gland at the rim of the eyelids, responsible for the production of meibum.

Meanings

meibomian gland1

nounmeibomian gland (plural meibomian glands)

plural meibomian glands · alternative Meibomian gland

  1. anatomyA sebaceous gland at the rim of the eyelids, responsible for the production of meibum.

    Synonyms: tarsal gland

Meibomian gland2

nounMeibomian gland (plural Meibomian glands)

plural Meibomian glands

  1. Alternative letter-case form of meibomian gland.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA sebaceous gland at the rim of the eyelids, responsible for the production of meibum.

More synonyms by meaning

nouna long sebaceous gland that lubricates the eyelids

Broader
sebaceous glandsebaceous follicleglandulae sebaceae
Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Named after 17ᵗʰ century German physician Johann Heinrich Meibom, who provided the first comprehensive description of the glands in his 1666 work De Vasis Palpebrarum Novis Epistola (Epistle on the New Vessels of the Eyelids).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech Meibomova žláza (meibomská, Meibomická)
  • Meibomova žláza (meibomská, Meibomická)gland
Finnish Meibomin rauhanen, luomitukirauhanen
  • Meibomin rauhanengland
  • luomitukirauhanengland
Italian ghiandola di Meibomio
  • ghiandola di Meibomiogland
Spanish glándula de Meibomio
  • glándula de Meibomiogland
Swedish meibomsk körtel
  • meibomsk körtelgland
Cite this entry
APA

meibomian gland. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meibomian%20gland

MLA

“meibomian gland.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meibomian%20gland. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “meibomian gland,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meibomian%20gland.

Source: meibomian gland on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.